Force Field

Bella Hadid shows off Nike’s next gen of Air Force 1 sneakers

The world has changed a lot since 1982, but the Nike Air Force 1 sneaker, first introduced as a basketball shoe, has mostly stayed the same. In the 35 years since its launch, its thick Nike Air sole, silver metal emblem, and oversize swoosh have come to represent more than just the cutting-edge athleticism Nike stands for but a way of life. As Kareem “Biggs” Burke, the cofounder of Roc-A-Fella Records tells it, “AF-1 is the soul to sneaker culture. It’s a classic sneaker that represents timeless fashion.”

So how to celebrate 35 years of something that has become a keystone of popular culture? Nike is doing it by teaming up with five all-star collaborators—Travis Scott, Virgil Abloh, Acronym’s Errolson Hugh, Don Crawley, and Burke—each of whom designed their own takes on the AF-1 signature all-white colorway. “To me, the AF-1 represents a blank canvas. It’s a modern classic,” says Abloh. “My design was influenced by an ambition to underline the importance of the sneaker so that the purity of the classic still remains the star.” Burke echoes that sentiment: “There is always a temptation to change or to redo something, but sometimes I think simplicity is enough.”

Of course, the urge with anything iconic is to add a little disruption. That’s why Vogue enlisted Bella Hadid, a modern modeling icon in her own right, to show off new ways to dress up—or down!—the sneakers. “There are so many ways that you can pair it, and I think that’s what’s so incredible about the shoe,” said Hadid. “I love wearing them with tracksuits, but what’s so cool about the Air Force 1 is that you can pair it with a dress too, and it still looks super rad.”

“A lot of the details I designed can only be seen within 12 inches from the shoe. The craftsmanship and the construction of the shoe become apparent from that perspective, which was my design intention.”—Virgil Abloh

“I approached the shoe starting with functionality. My aim was to bring a new functional aspect to the design and make it as distinct as possible. We went with a zipper because it’s visually interesting and just makes putting on your shoes that much easier.”—Errolson Hugh, founder of Acronym

“With my design, I wanted to celebrate the heritage of the classic with features from its successors, but I couldn’t touch the sole. That’s the foundation of the Air Force 1, and that had to stay.”—Don Crawley, founder of Just Don